My second day in the capital was about to get more interesting. Attending a class, learning new things and meeting new people were on the menu. It all started by an exquisite breakfast at the hotel before moving along the streets of London since heavy rain was expected in the afternoon.
The breakfast was so delicious and so professional that it was the main topic of discussion while walking throughout Regent street towards Oxford Circus and then along Oxford street where Gap and Marks & Spenser's have two big boutiques that we visited for some quick shopping. The next stop was at Trafalgare Square one of London's main touristic gathering points, enjoying the huge lion structures and the main middle column facing the National Portraits Gallery. I remember back in 2009, there was this high stone or a balcony like spot that people can rent for any personal purpose: Some to read a book others to display their products or even sunbathe: unfortunately that spot disappeared.
I passed next to Little Frankie's Italian American restaurant a place I enjoyed a nice lunch in 2009. But back then I was not into writing yet and passed by without even taking a single shot. 11:45am and the Food Bloggers conference is starting in couple of minutes. We reached a nice hidden spot, not too far from the London's Eye: the Beaconsfield venue. The Beaconsfield is an old building divided into a ground floor where the coffee breaks are hosted and an upper amphitheater for the lectures. In the other building, just under the train passage is a brick arcade hall for workshops. A nice and pleasant venue for events like this one where all participants can mingle and move along one another. A nice day spent around European food bloggers, learning and enjoying fruitful conversations with people having the same interests.
In the late afternoon, I decided to continue my London tour and discover more of this city's wonders. My wife and I walked along the Lambeth Bridge to visit the Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster and the famous Big Ben - now renamed Elizabeth Tower. The tourism tour continued revisiting by night the tourists spot,Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the heart of the London action and youth, Shaftesbury Avenue where many pubs and bars are located, Haymarket the theater-land and the famous Leicester Square, London's Times Square.
It was time to eat. Why not try one of my favorite international franchises?
Wagamama: the Wagamama story began in 1992 when the first restaurant opened in London's Bloomsbury. Inspired by traditional Japanese ramen bars and Asian flavors, Wagamama was designed to offer a new kind of dining experience – one that offers fresh Japanese-inspired food in a friendly, vibrant setting. Today, Wagamama is an award-winning series of restaurants available in 17 countries around the globe. Wagamama London is as good as the one in Istanbul.
A second long and tiring day in the city that never sleeps.
More to come this week-end. Stay tuned...
